Come Ride With Me
by wee idgie
Summary: Someone has got themself a Harley D and has also got Catherine all hot under the collar! Sara/Cath Femmeslash...if this is not your thing, that's cool, don't read it. Rated M for sexual content. DON'T WORRY - THE UPDATES TO THIS STORY WILL BE BACK SOON.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own CSI/Sara/Cath/Any other character, they are the property of CBS/Bruckheimer, this is just me playing with someone elses toys. But don't worry, they are most certainly having fun and I promise to put them back unharmed when I'm finished. Seriously, no copyright infringement intended folks.

**Authors Note:** It would seem that I have been bitten by the bug. I figured it was about time to put slightly more story into the mix but don't worry, there will be some raunch happening later… hehe! Am not sure how long this is going to be (probably not hugely long) but bear with me. I found it strange going from writing in the first person to writing in the third person… I certainly hope it has worked. I would very much appreciate your thoughts, suggestions and reviews. Hope you lovely folks don't mind being my betas.

**Warning:** This story deals with a relationship between two consenting females. It has been rated **M** for sexual content in later chapters. If femmeslash is not your thing or you are not old enough to read this, don't go any further.

* * *

**Come Ride With Me**

**Chapter 1**

"Hey" Grissom shouted after the figure that had just passed his open office door. Pushing himself out of his seat he made it to the door in time to see the tall helmeted figure, messenger bag over shoulder, round the corner towards the labs. "Hey, the couriers are supposed to leave all parcels with reception."

Hearing Grissom's raised voice, Greg looked up to see the leather-clad form moving gracefully past his lab. The person paid no attention to the frustrated man bumbling along behind waving his glasses in his outstretched hand.

"I'll be having words with his manager," Grissom complained grimacing at Greg. "We have protocols for a reason, sir. If they're going to be openly flouted, we will end up in chaos. This place has to be the very model of efficiency to remain the best lab in the country. Rules are… well rules are rules." The older man was certainly disgruntled.

Suitably intrigued, he rushed from his lab to watch the scene unfold. '_That is no he,'_ Greg chuckled to himself.

Catherine poured another cup of bad coffee adding the usual three sugars in a vain attempt to make it bearable before wandering to sit opposite Warrick and Nick.

"That man would be late for his own funeral." she complained, though not wanting to be the one to chase him down.

"He needs an alarm clock." Nick volunteered with a chuckle. "He never notices the time, has probably got his nose buried in some book about pupating larvae."

"Gruesome Grissom!" Warrick interjected, rolling his smiling green eyes.

All three heads turn in unison as they're interrupted by the mystery figure in black, closely followed by a vexed Grissom and a grinning Greg.

"Now listen here, sir," Grissom continued in his berating tone. "You need to go and leave the delivery with reception. Unauthorised personnel are not allowed into the labs."

The intruder swung the messenger bag off his shoulder, depositing it at one end of the large meeting table and turned to face the now red-faced Grissom.

"Sir," Grissom tried one last time. "You're earning yourself a police escort off the premises."

"Erm, Grissom," Greg piped up with a smirk, "I have to tell you, she isn't a sir."

The stocky, greying man faltered as Greg's words registered. "Oh, er…"

A stifled snort escaped from Nick as he watched his socially inept supervisor trying to think of what to say next.

The mystery courier reached for her helmet with all eyes upon her. Slowly, for maximum effect Greg thought, she removed the headgear allowing her long, dark, slightly tousled hair to fall elegantly round her shoulders. Her death stare directed squarely at Grissom who visibly shrank under her heavy gaze.

"Sara..." All faces seemed to register the same amazement, except Greg of course who was grinning like the Cheshire cat. He had worked it out instantly. After all, he had not spent years memorising those toned thighs and her graceful gait for nothing.

A low wolf-whistle escaped from Warrick and Catherine's jaw dropped open as she watched Sara advance on the cowering man in the doorway.

"Are you trying to tell me that after knowing me for twelve years and working with me for nearly three, as a trained investigator no less, that one, you don't recognise me and two, I look like a MAN?" Sara was yelling and had it been a cartoon would have no doubt resulted in Grissom's curly hair being blown from his head. Grissom to his credit didn't say anything further though that could've be put down to his legendarily bad people skills. His poor brain probably refused to come up with anything remotely useful in the situation.

Sara peeled off the gauntlets and jacket to reveal a tight black tee. She threw the garments on the sofa where she'd placed the helmet and stalked across to sit at the table next to Catherine who found herself rather embarrassingly unable to stop staring at Sara's leather-clad ass. 'I never would have realised Sara Sidle looked so good in tight leather', she thought to herself.

"So Sara, what's with the coming in looking like a smokin' hot Bond girl?" Greg couldn't help himself Sara was fuelling his fantasies in that getup.

Sara gave Grissom one last evil glare as he shuffled the assignments slips. "I thought maybe your dreams needed a refresher Greg." she said with a wink at the young lab tech.

"Be still my beating heart." He pretended to collapse before breaking into another even bigger grin, making his excuses and disappearing back to DNA.

"So Sara, spill!" Nick urged, voicing the thoughts of all of them round the table, perhaps with the exception of Grissom who seem preoccupied with re-arranging the assignments into some obscure order.

"What?" Sara feigned. "Maybe I was just trying to make Greg keel over?"

"Well you managed that alright." Catherine wondered if she might have had the same effect on her had she not already been sat down.

"Come on girl." Warrick's soft warm drawl intervened. "What did you get, and more importantly, when do I get to take it for a test ride?"

Sara held up her keys, the shiny new fob dangling from the ring.

"A Harley?" Catherine drew breath in awe.

"Woah! Wait, you bought a Harley D? Who'd have thought it Sara, you're actually cool." Nick piped up, his big brown eyes shining. "Where'd you leave it? Let's go see."

"Ahem." Grissom seemed to find his voice again. "It's already well into shift and as much as I'm all for team bonding, you all have work to do."

"Spoil sport." Nick mumbled under his breath but the twinkle in his eye was enough to stop Grissom rising to the bait, again.

"Nick, B&E, Henderson" Nick groaned, Catherine looked at him in sympathy. "Warrick 419 off the I-15. Take Cath with you. Sara, you can get changed and finish up your paperwork from the Osbourne case. Ecklie wants copies of all the reports so make sure you dot all your i's and cross all your t's.

Catherine's eyebrows raised as she realised Grissom had bravely passed some sort of comment on Sara's attire. That man mustn't want to live to see his next birthday. 'If I were her supervisor I'd demand that she stayed dressed just like that', she mused silently and then promptly caught herself wondering just where that wicked thought had come from. She wandered after Warrick, throwing an apologetic grin Sara's way on Grissom's behalf.

"Don't you go anywhere on that beast." Nick warned her. "I want the grand unveiling when I get back."

"You betcha Nicky boy," Sara promised.

"Well I'd best go get that paperwork done then I suppose. Want me to take any parcels anywhere while I'm on my feet?" Sara taunted her old friend.

"I… I'm sorry Sara. I didn't think it was you, I mean you don't usually… well… you have a car and I thought you were already here in the lab. I didn't realise you liked bikes."

"Hey Gris, I've forgiven you." Sara watched the older man let out a breath he didn't seem to be aware he was holding. She bent to collect the protective gear that had caused all his confusion and headed for the door. As she stepped through she couldn't resist turning for one last dig. "Well apart from the part where you thought I was a man!" and with that she was gone.

-- -- --

Catherine pulled the Denali back into the parking lot and smiled gently at her friend. It had been a particularly grisly shift and they both needed some time out. "Come on Rick, I know you're dying to see Sara's bike. As it so happens, so am I."

"As if you could stop me?" he bantered trying to shake off the repugnant images of the evening.

As they stepped out they both heard a throaty roar from across the lot. "Hey she's starting without us." He slammed the door and strolled across to the little throng of people gathered round the shiny new toy. Even Grissom was on the fringe of the little group trying not to look out of place.

Sat astride the Sportster was sexy Sidle back inside her figure-hugging leathers. The engine grumbled away under the vibrant green fuel tank and Catherine noted she looked at ease. It was the first time she'd seen Sara looking quite so natural, like the bike was an extension of her body. Catherine found herself appraising that lithe body again before she realised and gave herself a mental slap.

"So who's my first passenger?" Sara giggled. It had been a long time since she'd had this much attention, but then she knew it wasn't her, it was the bike. In fact the last time was when she got her first bike back in college, a vintage Triumph. Oh yes she was popular then. All the girls wanted a ride and Sara was most happy to oblige.

Greg lunged forward. "Well I've taken the liberty of coming prepared," he boasted brandishing a battered looking crash helmet, "I think I should get to be your first pillion. Especially seeing as all this is for my benefit anyway."

"Where did you get that?" Nick asked astounded at how blatant Greg could be and that Sara let him get away with it.

"From the lab garage my friend, there's two or three in there you know. Too bad only I thought about it." With that he swung his leg over the pillion seat and settled in against Sara, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Ok Grego, now remember, it's a motorcycle ride not molest-a-CSI." Warrick wagged his finger in mock-seriousness.

"Yeah Greg," Sara joined in, "hands on the waist, no higher, no lower."

"Get going already, Sidle." Greg chided and with that Sara flipped down her visor and they peeled out of the lot, engine roaring and tyres squealing on the warm tarmac.

"Damn that bike is sexy." Nick shook his head as if trying to get the image of Sara Sidle on a Harley to gel in his mind.

'Damn that rider is sexy', thought Catherine in silent response. She had been watching from the periphery, finding herself entertaining all kinds of thoughts, one of which involved wondering how it would feel to be that Harley right now, being ridden by a leather-bound Sara Sidle. 'Stop it!' She reprimanded herself at a loss as to where all the mental pictures she was conjuring up were coming from.

The bike never made it out of earshot. It's throaty snarl audible over all the usual city noises.

"We might have to get Greg a box of tissues for when he gets back." Hodges remarked lewdly in his usual oily voice.

"Hodges, you're sick man." Nick grimaced at the oddball lab tech. The guy didn't really fit in and everyone was hoping Grissom would be able to palm him off to the day shift.

Sara swung the bike back into the lot and a beaming Greg dismounted. "I was a gentleman." He assured holding his hands in the air.

"Well I'd say maybe you were a lady," Sara laughed lightly. "That definitely was a lady's scream."

"You screamed Grego?" Warrick teased, taking the spare helmet and passing it to Nick.

"Yeah I did a u-ey at the end of Benson and he shrieked like a little girl on the dodgems." Sara was really laughing now.

"It wasn't a shriek, I just wasn't prepared for you to be doing an um… a u-ey." Greg tried to keep his ego unscathed.

"Greg! You shrieked!" Sara motioned for Nick to climb on and stuck her tongue out at the young lab tech before roaring off again.

Grissom sighed as he watched the fun. He always felt so out of it, so like Dad presiding over a group of brilliant but feisty teenagers. He turned to make his way back up to the lab and Catherine fell in step with him. She knew she couldn't have a ride on that thing with Sara. Out of nowhere her mind was already playing weird tricks on her and she didn't want her body joining in. No, she had to take her kit back to the lab, get a strong coffee and systematically try to erase the images swirling round her head. Maybe she'd have a cold shower instead?

-- -- --

Catherine sat in the locker room in a daze. She'd tried to bury herself in processing her evidence but the impression of Sara in leather had burnt into her brain and refused to fade. What had happened to her? Since when did Sara Sidle become an object of desire, a sex symbol? There must be something wrong with her maybe she was sickening for something? Sara had taken all the boys out and they'd come back with grins plastered from ear to ear. She was secretly pleased for Warrick, he seemed to have been able to shake the demons from their case tonight but she was also frustrated with herself for missing out. Damn her betraying mind and body when she could have let go and had some fun. No doubt Sara would think it was Catherine being Catherine again, old frosty knickers. 'Damn her! Damn me!' "Damn!"

"Damn what Cath?"

Catherine was snapped out of her inner dialogue by a smirking Sidle standing in the doorway.

"You seem quite out of it. You ok?" Sara probed, a twinge of concern evident in her voice.

"What? Was I? Um… well… it was a rough scene tonight I guess and I…"

Sara nodded, unconvinced, letting the locker room door swing shut behind her. "You didn't fancy a ride then?" Sara smiled down at the zoned-out Catherine sat in front of her.

Catherine closed her eyes momentarily, clamping down on the whirling images flashing through her mind again. "I just thought you'd have enough on your plate with all the boys champing at the bit. It's a beautiful bike Sara. I didn't realise you were a hells angel."

Sara was beaming now. Catherine couldn't help but wonder 'since when did Sara Sidle beam?'

"Ah the boys loved it. In fact Greg keeps pestering for another go."

"Mmm, I have no doubt. You don't half tease him Sara."

Sara rolled her eyes and brushed off the topic of Greg. "Ah he's good for my ego. Anyway, I would've liked to take you out Catherine. I know you'd have enjoyed the ride."

'Damn her, damn her!' "Oh you have no idea." Catherine's jaw dropped. 'Shit did I say that out loud?'

"What?" Sara countered managing to keep the surprise out of her voice.

"Er… I meant… yeah, I have no doubt I would. It has been a long time since I've ridden pillion." Catherine fought hard to stop the blush rising from her previous comment. She stood, turned to her locker to fish out a change of shoes.

Sara watched her, intrigued. Catherine seemed to be nervous. 'Since when does Catherine get nervous?'

Sara opened her own locker, wrestling the infamous leathers once again from their hanger. "So how about it?"

"How about what?" Catherine didn't look up from zipping her boot.

"Gees, you _are_ spacey today. How about taking a ride with me?" Sara spoke slowly quite bemused at Catherine's out of character behaviour. "We're both off the clock, it'll be fun. What do you say?"

Out of the corner of her eye Catherine saw Sara throw her leather trousers on the bench next to her and start to undo the buttons on her jeans.

She hurriedly slammed her locker and put on her interview voice, it was the only one she could trust not to betray her. "I can't I'm afraid, I have to pick Lyndsey up and take her to school, in fact I'm already running late." She strode to the locker room door, swung it open and without looking back threw one last comment to the half-dressed brunette behind her. "Maybe some other time."

Sara was left staring after her, one leg in, one leg out of her leather pants. "Sure…" she frowned as her words bounced off the closed door. 'Something is definitely bothering Catherine,' she mused.

Fastening her jacket she grabbed the gloves and helmet, knocked the locker shut with her hip and made her way down to the parking lot with a contented smile on her face. She was looking forward to some road time with her beast and she wasn't going to let Catherine puzzle her any further.

"Let's go get breakfast baby, then you and me are gonna spend some quality time together," she whispered patting the seat before donning her gloves. She turned the key, stamped on the starter and kicked up the kick stand. 'Catherine doesn't know what she's missing' she concluded as she eased open the throttle and the bike purred out of the lot.

* * *

I'd very much appreciate your thoughts so far. Hit that button... go on, you know you want to. ;-)


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I don't own CSI/Sara/Cath/Any other character, they are the property of CBS/Bruckheimer, this is just me playing with someone elses toys. But don't worry, they are most certainly having fun and I promise to put them back unharmed when I'm finished. Seriously, no copyright infringement intended folks.

**Authors Note:** Aaargh, I'm sorry for taking so long to write up the second chapter. I've had a bit of a block with writing because I've found myself unable to write about 'Catherine' - personal things with a Catherine in my world have made it too hard. Anyways I've finally managed to get going again and plan to have the third chapter up soon as well because I'm moving in a week and probably won't have internet access after that for a while. As always I would very much appreciate your thoughts, suggestions and reviews as I'm using you lovely folks as my betas.

**Warning:** This story deals with a relationship between two consenting females. It has been rated **M** for sexual content in later chapters. If femmeslash is not your thing or you are not old enough to read this, don't go any further.

* * *

**Come Ride With Me**

**Chapter 2**

"Please mom? They make the best pancakes and there's plenty of time before I have to be at school." Lyndsey turned her best pleading face complete with big puppy-dog eyes on her helpless mother. "And then there won't be dishes to wash when you get home and you can go to sleep straight away."

Catherine sighed. Since when did her life start being organised by a ten-year-old? However the thought of no washing up did help to convince her. She couldn't argue. Her daughter knew her too well. Catherine pulled her car into the diner car park and into a vacant space. "Ok sweetheart, but this is the last time this week."

"Yessss!" hissed her triumphant daughter, unbuckling her belt and flinging the door wide.

"Did you hear me Lyndsey Willows? You will be getting fruit for breakfast tomorrow."

The sing-song reply came from over her little one's shoulder as she practically danced into the diner. "Yeah Mom, I know."

They found a quiet corner in which to sit and Catherine stifled a yawn and rubbed her tired eyes in the low morning sunlight that streamed through the window.

"See Mom," Lyndsey grinned at her mother, "it's good you won't have my mess to tidy up, you're tired."

"You're very thoughtful sweet-pea," Catherine smiled down at the big wide eyes of her only child.

The waitress brought them a huge stack of pancakes, two plates, butter and syrup as well as a cafetiere and a strawberry milkshake. The two sat in comfortable silence, broken by Lyndsey's slurps on her milkshake. Catherine looked at her daughter and her mind wandered over the events of the last shift. Her case had certainly been a rough one. They'd had to recover body parts strewn over a mile stretch of the highway and it was only when they arrived that they discovered it was a child's body. Catherine shivered and looked up at Lyndsey. Every time she got a case like this she felt the need to wrap Lyndsey in cotton wool and never let her out of her sight.

Catherine's eyes met Lyndsey's and she smiled at her beautiful daughter, forcing her mind to change the subject. Of course her mind decided to dish out the other subject upon which she shouldn't be dwelling, Sara Sidle.

Sara! On a Harley! Catherine couldn't help but wonder where this side of her colleague had emerged from. It was so unlike the Sara she knew. That was the thing though, she realised she didn't actually know Sara that well at all. The pair had a reputation for being confrontational with each other and Catherine realised with a touch of regret that she had never once let her guard down with the younger CSI. She gave Sara much less leeway than any of the others and used any excuse to find fault. Ok, Sara had initially joined the team to investigate Warrick so they were all naturally defensive but even when it was clear that Sara had become 'one of the gang' and probably the best CSI in the department, she still didn't offer her friendship. Only last week she'd had the boys round to watch the game but she hadn't invited Sara. Why not? Yet Sara had reached out to her, wanted to take her out on that incredible-looking machine. Catherine couldn't fathom it.

She closed her eyes picturing the tall CSI sat astride her ride. She had looked the most comfortable that Catherine had ever seen her. Her leathers hugged every curve of her supple body making her look very much like the 'smokin' hot' Bond-girl Greg had described.

"What are you thinking Mom?" Lyndsey asked quietly?

"Huh?" Catherine reluctantly let the image behind her eyelids disappear as she opened her eyes.

"I just wondered what was making you smile in that way?"

"Um, I was just thinking about work kiddo, it was nothing." Catherine lied.

"Oh come on Mom, I was not born yesterday." Lyndsey threw back, arms folded. She looked just like Catherine's mini-clone when she wore that face.

Catherine raised her eyebrows. "Er, Lyndsey Willows…" she began in an effort to return her daughter to her ten-year-old place but she was interrupted.

"Mom, you never get that look when you think about work, you must have been thinking about someone. That's it, a guy you were thinking about a guy!" Lyndsey's voice had gotten louder in her excitement. "Who was it?"

"I wasn't thinking about a guy Lyndsey." Catherine answered her daughter, this time in all honesty.

"Mom…" Lyndsey began again, not for one second buying her mother's responses. "Oh my god, it's Sara!"

Catherine's head snapped up as the colour drained from her face. "What?" She immediately realised she must've looked as guilty as the kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar and modified her tone. "Ha ha, no baby I wasn't thinking about Sara either." Damn, more lies!

"No, I meant, look it's Sara." Lyndsey pointed towards the counter. Catherine's breath caught in her throat as she turned to look in the direction Lyndsey was pointing. Sure enough, she was looking at the back of Sara Sidle as she strolled up to the counter with the slightest of swaggers.

"She's got a motorbike. Mom, can I go look? Please can I go see Sara?" Lyndsey was back to being her ten years again and was already out of her seat hopping from one foot to the other.

Catherine sat in silence for a moment, gratefully processing the fact that her daughter could not read her mind but then cursing the events that left her once again staring at Sara 'sexy ass' Sidle in those damn leather pants. These were images she was trying to erase from her mind, not burn in forever.

Lyndsey looked like she was about to burst as she screwed her face up. "I just want to say hello, Mom, pleeeaase?"

Catherine sighed. Maybe she was being tormented in punishment for something bad she did? "Listen sweetie, you can go and say a quick hello, but don't bother Sara, we've both just finished shift remember, she'll be tired."

Lyndsey didn't stay long enough to hear her mom's whole sentence. She raced across the diner over towards Sara. Catherine watched with a smile as Sara turned to face the little girl who was calling out her name and then bent to her level to talk to her. She could tell her daughter was talking nineteen to the dozen but Sara didn't seem phased by it. In fact she saw a wide toothy smile gracing her beautiful lips. She smiled herself at the spectacle in front of her. It was only then that she realised Lyndsey was dragging Sara by the wrist over to their table. A slightly uncomfortable fluttering began in her stomach and she suddenly forgot how to breathe.

"Hey," Sara's low drawl just made itself heard over the million inner voices that all seemed to want to talk to her at once inside her head. Catherine looked up to see Sara smiling down at her. "I'm sorry to intrude, but, well… how do you say no to your daughter, Cath?"

"Tell me about it." Catherine replied. Her voice didn't even feel like her own.

"Come on Sara, sit next to me." Lyndsey patted the space next to her eagerly. Sara looked at Catherine apologetically placed her coffee on the table and sat next to the excited little girl.

"Mom, Sara has a Harley." Lyndsey announced in total awe.

"I know sweetie," Catherine replied to the bundle of excitement sat opposite her. She sent a quick glance in Sara's direction and caught her smiling down at her over-enthusiastic daughter.

"You know? Have you seen it?" Her little eyes nearly pop out of their head. "Mom, have you been on it?"

"Calm down Lyndsey, yes I have seen it, it's a lovely bike."

"Your Mom is saving her ride for another day I think, maybe when I've proved I can ride it without falling off." Sara's eyes twinkled as she looked from the mini-Catherine sat next to her back to her mother.

Catherine looked at Sara unable to think of what to say but she was aware that a blush was spreading over her cheeks at the thought of being sat behind Sara, pressed tightly against her.

"But Mom, why would you worry about Sara falling off, I bet she is a brilliant rider." Lyndsey stated emphatically, an obvious case of hero worship building rapidly.

Lyndsey had developed her own little friendship with Sara during the numerous times she'd been stuck waiting for Catherine at the lab. Sara had spent time with her, treated her like an adult, shown her neat experiments making things explode and even once bought her strawberry ice-cream from the funky new café round the corner. Catherine had heard it all over and over. In Lyndsey's eyes, Sara was one of the coolest people on the planet. "Besides mom, you have those old leathers so you wouldn't get hurt."

"You have leathers?" Sara stared at Catherine and couldn't stop her mouth dropping open in surprise.

Catherine felt well and truly out of her depth, here she was trying to keep a lid on the new and surprisingly blatant feelings she had raging inside her in front of the person who was fanning the flames.

"Yeah, my ex used to ride." Catherine explained. "It was a while ago, I bet they don't fit any more."

Catherine knew she needed to get out from under Sara's scrutiny before she betrayed herself. Her breathing was already quicker and more flustered than usual and to a CSI as intelligent and observant as Sara, she was sure that wouldn't go unnoticed. She looked at her watch. "Lyndsey, we have to get you to school before you're late." Her words were met with many grumblings from the little Willows but Lyndsey eventually complied, catching Sara unawares in a big hug before sliding out under the table.

"Sorry we have to go so soon," Catherine apologised, "but if Lyndsey is late one more time I really will be in the doghouse with the school."

"No worries Cath, I'll see you later." Sara smiled.

"Will you come round to my house on your bike Sara?" Lyndsey asked her hero sweetly. "Pleeease, I want to see it."

Catherine found herself wondering how her daughter had developed the knack for digging her into the most awkward of situations. She was barely even friends with Sara, hell Lyndsey was more Sara's friend than Catherine was, but she now knew she was somehow developing a crush on her colleague and here was her daughter busy arranging social calls.

Sara looked up at Catherine and shrugged gently. "Hey sweetness, that's down to your mom. I don't mind you seeing the bike but it has to be ok with your mom."

Catherine could see the look in Sara's eyes. She was silently telling her not to worry, that she wouldn't hold Catherine to her daughter's request.

"Oh well that's ok then," Lyndsey declared triumphantly. "Mom loves bikes!"

"We'll sort something out Lynds," Catherine breathed carefully unsure just quite what to say "Let's leave Sara in peace to finish her coffee or the school will have my guts for garters."

"Ok, see you soon then Sara." The tiny blonde ran towards the door then just before stepping outside whipped round and shouted, "by the way Sara, you look great!"

Neither woman knew quite what to say, both had just been whirl-winded by the littlest Willows.

"See you later Cath," Sara said with a half smile.

"Yeah, ride carefully," Catherine returned the smile genuinely and followed her daughter into the car park, many thoughts spinning randomly in her mind including one or two more mature ones. Well as Lyndsey said, Sara did look 'great'.

* * *

Don't worry – there's more on the way soon. I'd very much appreciate your thoughts. Hit that button... go on, you know you want to. ;-)


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I don't own CSI/Sara/Cath/Any other character, they are the property of CBS/Bruckheimer, this is just me playing with someone elses toys. But don't worry, they are most certainly having fun and I promise to put them back unharmed when I'm finished. Seriously, no copyright infringement intended folks.

**Authors Note:** Well folks, here is chapter three. A little later than I wanted it to be but as I mentioned I've moved home and unfortunately my new flat doesn't have phone sockets. Hopefully I'll be able to get online sporadically using the modem on my mobile. I decided that for your patience and down-right loveliness, I'd tease you with a smidgin of smut. As always your thoughts, suggestions and reviews are immensely appreciated. I also wanted to take a minute to thank you all for your stories… they're inspiring and so enjoyable. There are so many talented writers round here! Here's hoping chapter four flows from my keyboard a little faster and easier. (I'm still having some difficulty with the writing about Catherine thing.)

**Warning:** This story deals with a relationship between two consenting females. It has been rated **M** for sexual content. If femmeslash is not your thing or you are not old enough to read this, don't go any further.

* * *

**Come Ride With Me**

**Chapter 3**

Sara looked down at her sleek green partner in crime and smirked. "It would seem that you have your fair share of admirers."

Lyndsey Willows was a sweet kid, a touch excitable, but then most kids are at the tender age of ten. She had definitely inherited her mother's intelligence and ability to manipulate the situation to her liking. It was well known in the lab that Catherine was the interviewer of choice for the tough-nuts. She knew just how to get under their skin until they eventually gave it up. Lyndsey had that same quality and somehow was even adept at using it on her mother.

As Sara pulled out onto the freeway she let her mind wander back to the piece of information little Lyndsey had enthusiastically shared, that Catherine owned her own leathers. Now that was a thought that'd keep a person warm at night. But if Catherine was used to riding pillion and in Lyndsey's words 'loves bikes' why had she seemed so flustered and declined to take a ride with her?

Sara squeezed the throttle a little harder and her new baby willingly obliged, the escalating throaty roar filling Sara's ears and banishing any puzzled thoughts remaining in her head.

-- -- --

Catherine watched her mini-me leap up the school steps two at a time and turn to wave before disappearing inside. She looked at herself in the rear view as she turned the key in the ignition. "Well, what a surprise, I look flushed," she said out loud to no one.

As she relaxed into the seat, the familiar route burned into all levels of her conscious, her mind wandered back unsurprisingly to Sara. More specifically to Sara's long toned legs being poured into those indescribably good black leathers, her thighs held tightly under the protective second skin. Catherine's mind played eagerly with the images and by the time she had drawn the Denali onto the drive Sara's strong muscular thigh was sandwiched tightly between her own, pressing into her, pinning her against her locker. She came guiltily out of her reverie and stilled the engine resting her head on the steering wheel. Catherine was aware she should not be encouraging such thoughts but an incessant tingling in her groin made it impossible to operate rationally. 'God, Sidle, I can't believe what you do to me.' She got out of the SUV and let herself in her front door.

Catherine knew she'd not be able to sleep in the state she was in and that the right thing to do was opt for a cold shower, but the devil on her shoulder was putting in overtime this morning. Catherine threw her bag and coat down on a chair and sat on the edge of her bed slowly unbuttoning her blouse. The good angel, clinging desperately to her other shoulder was shrieking something about buckets of ice-cold water but Catherine wasn't listening.

She let her fingers play over her skin, an inferno breaking out underneath her own touch. She lay back, intensely aware of the sensation of her nipples against taut lacy fabric. She squeezed them gently, twisting and pulling the engorged nubs, the tingling in her lower abdomen making way for full on throbbing. There was no way she could stop now.

Catherine closed her eyes and suddenly there was Sara smiling wickedly down at her. She was shaking her head

"Oh naughty Catherine, what would I say if I knew just how much you wanted me?"

Catherine slid her hand over a taught stomach, her body giving an involuntary shiver of anticipation.

"I wonder how wet you are?" Fantasy Sara was certainly playing her part. Catherine knew she was soaking. She unbuttoned her fly and slipped her jeans down, gasping as the air played around her. She was out of control and it would seem nothing was going to bring her back. She slid her fingers into her knickers and began to swirl them in the slick, hot fluid.

"Mmm, Catherine, I'm going to enjoy fucking you." Fantasy Sara reached into Catherine's knickers and started to swirl her soft fingertips around the centre of her desire.

"Oh, God!" Catherine heard her voice reverberate around her empty room as she writhed under her own touch.

Fantasy Sara fucked Catherine into a frenzy - twice - before her rational self began to claw its way back and the guilt re-appeared.

"Shit!" Catherine lay there regaining control of her breathing. Her good angel had dusted herself off and was standing on the floor, arms folded, an 'I told you so' look on her face. Catherine winced and pulled the sheet up to cover her shame. She was exhausted and drifted into an uncomfortable sleep, the heady smell of her guilt filling her nostrils.

-- -- --

"Catherine. Catherine? CATHERINE?" Catherine was pulled from her trance and looked up to see a concerned Sara with an armful of evidence bags looking down at her. "Are you ok Cath, you don't seem yourself today?"

Catherine went white and looked down at the evidence spread in front of her realising she'd made very little progress. She'd been relieved that her and Warrick's case had them both confined to the lab processing evidence whereas Sara had been out in the field. She had hoped that Sara's case would detain her long enough to keep them from seeing one another.

"I'm fine, just busy!" she returned coldly, instantly regretting her tone.

"Of course you are, sorry for asking." Sara turned to leave, she'd find another lab to work in, one without a frosty Catherine.

'Shit, you're not supposed to take it out on her.' Catherine berated herself. She opened her mouth to apologise but then realised Sara might see that as an invitation to come back and share her lab and right now she couldn't be in the same room. Instead she stared at the retreating back of the beautiful CSI and swore some more.

-- -- --

Sara slit the tape on her first evidence bag tipping the contents onto the illuminated table having found a quiet spot in one of the far labs preferred by the swing shift CSI's.

Maybe Catherine was pissed that she's encroached on her time with Lyndsey, she knew that Catherine valued every second she could spend with her daughter and having Sara sit down to join them probably wasn't appreciated. Ok, so it was Lyndsey who had forced it, but perhaps she should have declined the young girls eager demands and allowed mother and daughter their time?

Maybe it was the suggestion from Lyndsey that she should come round to their house on the bike? Maybe that was too familiar? After all, even though she very much wished it was different, she wasn't really friends with Catherine. She had a much better relationship with daughter than mother, odd considering her usual phobia of children. But surely she'd made it clear that she wasn't about to just show up? Unable to fathom it out, she shook her head and set her mind to the evidence laid out in front of her quickly becoming engrossed pushing the unanswered questions about Catherine from her mind.

-- -- --

Sara gave in to a huge yawn as she grabbed her helmet and gloves in one hand and paper-cup of cheap tasteless coffee in the other, making her way to the car park. She needed a really good long sleep, her usually super-sharp mind felt dull and heavy and she'd only made a preliminary once-over of all the evidence. Managing only a few more sips at the rank brew aimed at keeping her awake, she discarded it, half-full, into the cigarette-bin with a silent sorry to the cleaning staff. Pushing through the swing door to the parking lot she came to a halt as she saw someone stood over her bike. She was surprised to see it was Catherine, her strawberry blonde hair glowing like orange gold as the first of the morning rays landed upon it. Sara stood like a statue, as if observing a beautiful butterfly somehow knowing if she moved or made a noise Catherine would fly off.

Sara watched enthralled as Catherine traced the curve of the leather saddle with her fingertips, wondering if she should she find this as erotic as she was doing? Catherine stood a few moments longer, wrapping her hand round the handlebars, gently tapping the instruments before walking away once again allowing her hand to linger over the seat.

Sara's mouth was dry. If she'd wanted to call Catherine back she'd have not been able to get the words out in time. Ok so Catherine was probably just admiring her bike without having to talk to her but there was a niggle at the back of her mind that said what she'd witnessed was more than just a woman looking at a bike. She heard the Denali fire up across the parking lot and her legs finally started moving in the direction she was willing them. She reached her bike with the tantalising thought that she was about to sit astride where Catherine had just run her hand.

As Sara pulled her helmet on she noticed a little white piece of card tucked behind the dials and reached to retrieve it. It was Catherine's business card. She flipped it over and found a short message scrawled on the back.

'_Sorry for snapping at you. Tough case and not enough sleep. C.x_'

Sara was stunned that Catherine had taken an unprecedented step and apologised to her but it was the last character on the card that made her eyebrows bounce off the inside of her helmet. '_x_' Catherine had put a kiss on a note to her? Now she was confused. She re-read the card before placing it inside her gauntlet along with her hand. Throwing her leg over the saddle she forced the image of Catherine's lingering fingers from her mind. She turned the key, relishing the squeal of the tyres as she sped out of the car park, totally unaware that she was being observed.

-- -- --

Catherine watched as Sara roared off into the distance from the safety of her SUV which she'd parked at the side of the road. She fiddled nervously with the sunglasses on top of her head. Did that mean Sara was angry? Maybe she should have apologised in person instead of leaving a note, but then Catherine didn't seem to have any control of the way things came out around Sara and with the guilt and the desire still firmly in place she had to take precautions. She wanted them to be friends not sworn enemies but how could she make that happen when she had suddenly developed all these stray feelings for the younger CSI. Sara would be disgusted if she knew of her longing. She had to figure out how to suppress it, and quickly! With a deep sigh, she replaced her sunglasses and made tracks to her sister's to collect Lyndsey, praying that her beautiful daughter would distract her awhile from the chaos in her mind.

* * *

Thanks for bearing with me. More on the way as soon as my mad, slow brain and poor internet connection allows. I value all honest opinions. :-)


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I don't own CSI/Sara/Cath/Any other character, they are the property of CBS/Bruckheimer, this is just me playing with someone elses toys. But don't worry, they are most certainly having fun and I promise to put them back unharmed when I'm finished. Seriously, no copyright infringement intended folks.

**Authors Note:** Hooray, finally I finished chapter four. Let me know what you thinks all you loveliest people and thank you so much for taking the time to review my work, it means so much to me. Send me lots of vibes of inspiration to help me for chapter five, I know where I'm going, roughly, but I don't find the creative process as easy as I'd like to. ;-)

**Warning:** This story deals with a relationship between two consenting females. It has been rated **M** for sexual content. If femmeslash is not your thing or you are not old enough to read this, don't go any further.

* * *

**Come Ride With Me**

**Chapter 4**

Catherine slammed her locker in a display of exhausted frustration. So she'd paid more attention to her good angel in the last few days but in her quest to keep her thoughts chaste and respectable she'd found herself too alert to get much sleep at all. Catherine was the first to admit that such lack of sleep made her cranky but lack of sleep combined with a concerted effort to keep Sara out of her head, especially when right at this moment she could smell the subtle fresh scent of Sara's perfume, was sending her slowly insane. She hadn't even seen Sara since watching her speed off on her bike four mornings ago yet she still felt like an out of control spinning top.

She thought back to the brief note she left Sara that morning. Maybe Sara had discarded it with a 'yeah whatever' then found a way to avoid Catherine ever since? It wasn't unheard of when things got busy round the labs that she wouldn't see other members of the team for days at a time but Catherine's tired brain was sure Sara had been keeping her distance. 'Probably for the best' she concluded.

Eyes closed, head bowed, she tried to summon up the reserves of mental energy to get her through her shift.

"You're forgiven!"

Catherine jumped out of her skin, raising her head and involuntarily stepping forward at the same time straight into the row of unyielding lockers. Muttering a profanity under her breath she turned to face the intruder on her personal moment, well in fact her entire life at present, and grimaced. Sara looked mildly amused.

"Sara you scared the shit out of me!" she berated her colleague.

"Sorry Cath," Sara smirked, "I thought you'd have heard me come in, that door squeaks like hell."

"Well I didn't!" retorted Catherine, the shock giving way to irritation. Why couldn't she manage to keep her emotions in check at the moment? She felt like a hormonal teenager.

"It's the first chance I've had to say that I got your note and I've forgiven you, but now I'm wondering what the point in an apology was if you're still insistent on trying to bite my head off?"

Sara's words were said with a ghost of a smile and were not an attempt to upset Catherine any more but her fragile headspace and worn out nerves weren't up to bantering. Forasmuch as she wanted to laugh at her stupid self, she found she simply couldn't. Her reply as she swept passed a baffled Sara and out into the corridor was sharp and childish.

"Bite me, Sidle!"

As the door swung shut behind her she was immediately struck with the image of Sara taking her answer literally and biting her in all kinds of inappropriate places.

'For fuck's sake – will this torture ever end?' she wrestled with herself and strode off to find Warrick.

-- -- --

Sara stood in the now empty locker-room a frown on her face. What had gotten into Catherine of late? She was getting irrational. It just was not like the Catherine she was used to seeing around the place. Catherine always maintained she never had trouble sleeping in fact the sleepless nights and nightmares were Sara's territory. After tough cases Cath would go home, hug Lyndsey and her equilibrium would return. So what was going on?

The door swung open behind her and she turned hoping to see Catherine come back to explain her unusual behaviour. It was Greg.

"Hey Grego." Sara nodded her greeting to the young lab tech.

"How's the lab's very own Harley-riding Bond-girl doing this fine evening?" Greg grinned at his favourite CSI.

"I'm good thanks Grego but do you know what's up with Catherine of late? She's so tetchy and unsettled."

"Now you mention it she hasn't been herself has she?" Greg looked thoughtful then broke into an even bigger grin. "Maybe it's a touch of the green-eyed monster?"

Sara raised her eyebrow and pursed her lips waiting for the explanation to Greg's analysis.

"Well now that you have become all the lab tech's number one fantasy CSI in those drool-inducing leathers…"

Sara threw her glove at him which he deftly parried away.

"…or…" he took a couple of steps back "…maybe she just needs a good shag?"

"GREG!" Sara shook her head as if she was his mother.

Greg shrugged his shoulders and if it was possible his grin got even wider. "Maybe I should offer my services?"

"GREGORY SANDERS!" Gees now she _sounded_ like his mother.

"Hey, I'm just offering to help a friend in need. You know I'd do the same for you Sara." His cheeky smile was still firmly in place as he dodged the other glove that came flying directly at his head, followed by each of Sara's trainers.

"Get out of here Greg – NOW!"

Greg backed out of the door and with a wink and a mock salute was gone.

'That kid is such a flirt' she thought to herself. 'Harmless though, you just couldn't dislike Greg.'

Sara reflected on his comments about Catherine. In all seriousness maybe she did think that Sara was trying to steal her limelight? After all she had seemed different since the evening Sara had first ridden the Harley to work.

Catherine always seemed to revel in the reaction she got out of the boys, for some unknown reason maybe she felt threatened? Sara laughed. She'd had the boys drooling or so Greg had hinted; something that she had never aspired to in her life. She'd made a fair few girls dribble after she got her first bike but that was about the bike, not her. Not that she minded. She'd spent a long time selecting the vintage 'chick-magnet' and even longer lovingly restoring it to it's former glory. She'd enjoyed the harvest of plenty she'd got in return.

Sara sighed audibly. Things had been totally slack in that department for a long while. She always buried herself in her work instead of having fun. That was what buying the Harley was all about – an attempt at letting her hair down for once.

Momentarily her mind wandered to Greg's second suggestion and her lip twisted into a predatory smile. She considered offering to service Catherine herself which caused a very pleasant, warm rush to course through her body at the mere thought.

"Behave Sidle!" she checked herself taking her overalls from her locker and making a quick change, tying her hair up on her way to join Nick in the garage. Time for her favourite form of government-funded therapy – ripping apart the big shiny limo just brought in by the P.D. like some sort of early over-sized Christmas gift.

-- -- --

"Cat, stop pacing! Sit down for two minutes would you?" Warrick's firm tone got through to the agitated blonde and she flopped down onto a stool with a deep sigh.

"What's going on in their today girl?" He gently brushed the top of his friend's head with his palm.

Catherine opened her mouth and shut it in a reasonable imitation of a goldfish before being completely overtaken by an enormous yawn that wracked her entire body.

What was she supposed to say? That she was entertaining what could at best be described as romantic feelings for a co-worker? For a female co-worker? For Sara Sidle, her female co-worker with whom she was almost always at loggerheads? That in her head all hell had broken loose since she'd seen Sidle in her leather's five days ago and that she'd not managed more than about six decent hours sleep since?

She yawned again, her eyelids heavy and drooping.

"I'll take you home Cath, you're exhausted. You're not letting this case get inside your head are you?" Warrick was concerned and his care was genuine.

'Chance'd be a fine thing,' thought Catherine as she shook her head.

"I'm fine Rick, honest," she mustered over another stifled yawn. "I'm just a little tired that's all. I'll go get some air."

He didn't look convinced but he just nodded slowly. "I'll be right here when you get back," he called after her.

Warrick was so sweet and she knew he had a soft spot for her. Why couldn't she feel it for him? It would be so much simpler!

Catherine took the stairs two at a time working up quite a pace until she burst through the roof-door like a rocket-fuelled jack-in-a-box. The cool Nevada air rushed into her lungs as she bent to catch her breath. Her breathing evened quickly and she rose to full stretch then wandered to the railing to enjoy one of her favourite views.

The expanse of city lights tailed off to the east where the distant black sprawl of the mountains began. The faint sounds and smells of a typical Las Vegas night filled her senses and she felt calmer.

"Just get a grip Catherine!" she ordered herself.

She closed her eyes and slowly drew in air from her diaphragm until her lungs wanted to burst holding it momentarily before releasing it in one long, controlled stream. She'd at least learnt the soothing effects of yogic breathing from her one and only class during an abysmally short health-kick. 'I should go back' she thought, 'at least then there'd be less time for a wandering mind.'

She strolled back and forth for another five minutes before the air took on a chilly feel to her bare arms. Rubbing the goose-pimples that had started to appear, she threw one last glance at the twinkling city below her.

"I can do this!" Catherine drilled herself, yelling into the night. "I'm in control! Sara Sidle, you might be one foxy lady but I CAN and WILL get my mind off you, your long, sexy legs and your bewilderingly perfect ass!"

With a satisfied nod Catherine pushed back through the door in the hope that her timing was such that Greg might have a pot of his premium reserve coffee on the go. She needed a caffeine hit of gargantuan proportions.

-- -- --

Sara flexed each knee and winced as the blood resumed circulation and the feeling returned to her feet and calves with the predictable onset of pins and needles. They reminded her of the ordeals of her childhood. The hours spent hidden in tiny spaces, completely silent in her often futile attempts to escape the lascivious and brutal touch of her father. It would have stood her in good stead for a career in the Intelligence Service.

She examined the crumpled half-cigarette she'd quickly stubbed and palmed as she'd been interrupted. She'd made a pact with Greg two months ago that she'd give up and as far as he knew she'd stuck to her end of the deal. She didn't want to be caught in the act and so had made the roof her smoking room of choice. No one ever came up here.

She re-lit the ragged roll-up and took a steadying drag, her brain was still trying to process what she'd just heard.

Sara had quickly crouched in the shadows extinguishing her illicit cigarette the second the roof-door had flown open. She was surprised to see Catherine but didn't reveal herself mainly because she didn't want a repeat performance of their previous two exchanges. From her hidden spot she watched the beautiful woman pace back and forth distractedly muttering to herself. What she heard in the last few seconds had tested her stealth to the absolute limit. Sara was flabbergasted.

'Catherine is attracted to _me_?' She shook her head and tried vocalising the conundrum.

"Catherine Willows?" She took the last drag of her dying dog-end. "Catherine 'unattainable' Willows can't get her mind off me?"

Sara touched her 'bewilderingly perfect' ass in disbelief.

As the full extent of the situation began to dawn on her a small smile crept over her lips and for the second time that evening a rush of heat flooded her trembling body.

Sara raised her eyebrows as she realised Greg might actually have been partially right in his assumption earlier. "That boy is going to make a damn good CSI one day."

She flicked the butt of her cigarette off the roof, turned and made her way back indoors. She had some serious thinking to do.

* * *

Your comments are welcomed and appreciated as always. Thanks folks. :-)


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I don't own CSI/Sara/Cath/Any other character, they are the property of CBS/Bruckheimer, this is just me playing with someone elses toys. But don't worry, they are most certainly having fun and I promise to put them back unharmed when I'm finished. Seriously, no copyright infringement intended folks.

**Authors Note:** Oh my goodness, this has been harder than chewing a kitchen work surface made of granite. It's one of those chapters that just would not flow. I still don't like the way it has turned out really but I knew that if I battled for much longer I'd give up and I really didn't want to do that. I'd like to say a big thank you from the bottom of my heart to all the lovely people who have reviewed my story and who have inspired me with stories of their own. I haven't been able to read and review much recently because I still don't have internet access at my new flat. However this is hopefully being rectified this week and so I should be able to catch up with all your stories and write the reviews I'm desperate to write. Thank you for bearing with me and as always, your honest opinions and words of encouragement are valued more than you'll realise. My best to all of you. J x

**Warning:** This story deals with a relationship between two consenting females. It has been rated **M** for sexual content. If femmeslash is not your thing or you are not old enough to read this, don't go any further.

* * *

**Come Ride With Me**

**Chapter 5**

Sara observed with interest the industrious blonde making impressively quick yet thorough work of the cluttered scene. She stepped gracefully careful not to disturb anything as she methodically placed the yellow markers, photographed, then bagged and tagged each and every small piece of evidence.

Tonight's was the first scene they'd worked together in the three weeks since Catherine's accidental rooftop confession. Sara had seen Catherine flitting from the lab to her office or from the locker room to her car but nothing apart from the occasional one word greeting had been exchanged between the pair. Even though this could probably be written off as normal in the bigger picture of their working relationship - hell it was completely normal – Sara had realised she was very much missing her co-worker.

Catherine's words on the roof had been played through her mind so many times. 'What if she'd been sent up there to prank her by someone who'd seen her slip away for a cigarette?' No it couldn't be that surely? 'What if Catherine was only craving some emotionless physical interaction?' Her body thrummed at the thought of physical interaction with Catherine but Sara had had one-night stands during college in an effort to numb the pain of old scars and had quickly realised she was left her in more pain and a little emptier every time she woke in the morning. The fact, however, remained - she was incredibly attracted to Cat who remarkably seemed a little more attainable now than when she first realised she harboured such feelings toward her.

Catherine placed another marker, the flash of her camera as she recorded the evidence pulling Sara from her inner monologue.

They had worked in silence since the scene had been secured and Brass had taken the only witness and possible suspect back to the P.D. It was the way they usually worked but tonight Sara found herself craving conversation. She opened her mouth but her brain refused to feed it with anything useful or remotely interesting to say so she shut it again and bent to retrieve the dusting powder from her case.

Opening the pot she realised she'd forgotten to restock. 'Damn' she thought. She looked up again to see Catherine balancing with ease on one leg whilst she snapped yet more images. Deciding not to interrupt the blonde's obvious concentration she reached into her kit again and produced a second pot, chuckling quietly to herself as she opened it and loaded her brush.

Sara began dusting, a task with which she quickly became preoccupied. Before she knew it over forty minutes had passed and more than half the room was coated in a thin film of powder. She stood and stretched to release the knots from her crinkled spine letting out a little sigh.

"What the hell?" Catherine's voice broke the silence and made Sara jump. She turned round to face the older CSI with a questioning look.

Catherine was stood in the doorway of the en-suite, an evidence bag in one hand and her camera in the other, the lower edge of her vest upturned leaving a sliver of flesh on show. She glanced round the room incredulously.

"You've turned this place into the Fairy Princess's powder palace. What's with the fluorescent pink Sidle?"

A shiver ran down Sara's spine as Catherine addressed her using only her last name, it sounded sexy.

"And what of it Cat?" Sara countered with a smirk, deliberately using the shortened over-familiar version of her colleague's name. Well it didn't hurt to tease and watch for a reaction.

Catherine raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything.

"It's nice to have a change sometimes don't you think?" Sara continued keeping her voice low, the slightest hint of suggestiveness creeping into her tone.

"I know people tend to think I'm a boring 'vanilla' kind of girl but sometimes I like to go wild." Ok her tongue was firmly in her cheek, it wasn't that exciting using pink dusting powder, but she could see her words were having some kind of effect on Catherine.

Catherine's eyes widened as Sara dropped her gaze and brushed away some stray pink dust that had conveniently landed on her chest. There was the slightest crack in her voice when she finally spoke.

"Well as long as you don't get that stuff all over my Denali – I've just had it detailed." Catherine coughed away the husk in her voice and turned away from Sara, bending to place her latest evidence bag in the box with the others.

Sara noticed Catherine's lips moving, she was muttering to herself. She smiled. It would seem that CSI Willows was still battling with those inner demons, conclusive evidence that she hadn't been pranked.

"I'm going to stick this in the car. You can start turning the bathroom pink now I guess." As she braced to lift the box and Sara admired the stretch of her jeans over thighs toned through her former years of dancing.

"Bring it on!" Sara replied grabbing the tub of powder.

Catherine exhaled as she lifted. She'd crammed the box so full of bags that it was ridiculously heavy. She shifted its weight in her arms and gingerly lifted her leg to step over the debris around her. Unfortunately for Catherine, the size of the load prevented her from seeing where she was placing her foot. The next three seconds played out as if in slow motion. Catherine's foot connected not with the floor as she'd planned but instead landed inside her camera case causing the case to slide backwards. Had she not been carrying the huge box Sara was sure Catherine would have stayed upright and recovered with her usual elegance but with the load of evidence bags in her arms she had no way to go but down.

"Shit!" hissed Catherine letting go of the box as her legs went from under her.

Like lightning, Sara made a dive, arms outstretched, to catch the older CSI. She made contact but with Catherine's downward momentum didn't stand much chance of stopping her. Sara overbalanced backwards and Catherine landed awkwardly on top of her.

"Shit!" Catherine felt the floor beneath her moving, quickly realising that she was lying on top of a giggling Sidle.

"Oh shit!" Catherine was aware that her brain only seemed capable of producing speech of the colourful four-letter variety.

Sara sucked in more air to feed her uncontrollable laughter and Catherine's brow furrowed. Sara was being uncharacteristically giggly and in her current situation it was fraying her last nerve. She placed her hands down either side of the brunette's waist to push herself up whilst opening her mouth to tell her colleague to pull herself together but Sara shifted underneath her causing a thigh to slip easily between her own.

"Fuck!" was the sum-total of her eloquence.

Sara continued to giggle but there was no longer any sound coming out. Her whole body, including _that _thigh, was shaking. Catherine propelled herself upright from her prone position and began to re-load the box with the scattered evidence bags, a fiery blush burning her cheeks.

Sara finally seemed to recover and sat up.

"Sorry Cat, it was just your face." She did an impersonation and chuckled some more getting to her feet and reaching to re-claim the last of the spilled bags.

Catherine eyed the offending carry-case and kicked it across the room in frustration.

Sara gazed at Catherine's flushed cheeks and had the sudden urge to envelop the smaller woman in her arms, find her beautiful lips with her own and kiss her. She reached for the blonde, seizing the moment and throwing all caution to the wind. She made contact with Catherine's shoulder, revelling in the feel of the soft skin beneath her fingers. As Catherine turned to face Sara the door to the room swung open and in strode Nick. Sara immediately dropped her hand. 'What timing!'

"Nick, to what do we owe the pleasure?" she asked, feeling the relief flooding through her that Nick hadn't shown up ten seconds later.

"I've just closed my case and I wondered if you guys wanted a hand? Grissom said it was messy. He wasn't kidding." Nick looked round the room in disbelief.

"And we've been here three hours already." Catherine groaned, at last finding greater than four-letter words in her vocabulary. "You want to get this crate to the SUV for me Nicky?"

"Sure, but why does this place look like it's been hit by a candy-floss bomb?" Nick gestured towards Sara's half of the scene.

"Ask the Princess Fairy over there," Catherine responded, "apparently, sometimes she just likes to 'go wild.'" Her tone mimicked Sara's from earlier and Sara found herself turning a similar shade of pink.

"I ran out of standard issue powder," she explained quickly forcing the blush back to where it came from. "Don't tell me you don't like what I've done with the place."

Nick smiled warmly at his colleague before easily picking up the box of evidence. "Keys?"

Catherine pulled the keys to the Denali from her back pocket and threw them in Nick's direction. "Officer Schroeder is in the lot. Get him to make sure the evidence stays secure once it's in the SUV."

"No worries Cath. See you guys in a minute." And with that Nick left the two alone again.

Sara wondered if there was any way she could re-claim her moment but Catherine was straight back to work so she grabbed her controversial dusting powder and started on the bathroom.

Six hours and eight crates later the exhausted trio finally arrived back at the lab. Evidence secured, they descended on the break room only to find Greg attempting to get his expensive coffee brewed in secret.

"Grego," Sara chirped, "perfect timing. We'll have three specials."

The young lab-tech hung his head and made an effort to protest. "This stuff is forty bucks a pound, I can't afford to play coffee house to you guys all the time," he whinged.

"Then go and brew it in your own coffee pot wonder-boy." Nick fired back.

Greg muttered under his breath as he poured himself a coffee then gestured towards the remainder of the pot for the work weary crew to help themselves before skulking back off to his lab.

Sarah poured three coffees nudging one towards Nick and carrying the other two over to where Catherine had collapsed on the sofa. As she passed Catherine the steaming mug she allowed her palm to linger momentarily on the back of Catherine's hand before plopping down next to her and letting out a tired sigh. Catherine's eyes widened at the gentle contact. It was a simple and brief gesture but she could still feel the tingling where Sara's skin had met hers.

"I'll have to make it up to Lyndsey at the weekend I guess." She said trying to change the subject in her mind again.

"Why? Did you have plans?" Sara asked.

"We were supposed to be going for pancakes. I promised her but with the scene taking so long to process I've had to get Nancy to take her to school. She'll be disappointed and to be honest so am I. I get to spend little enough time with my daughter it seems these days and when I do I'm always so tired." Catherine touched the back of her hand gently as she spoke, something that didn't go unnoticed by the brunette sat beside her.

After Catherine's comment about pancakes, Nick excused himself, going off in search of his own breakfast.

"Catherine, I have an idea," the brunette began cautiously. Catherine turned to look at Sara waiting for her to share her thoughts about their case. "What do you think Lyndsey would say to a picnic?"

"Huh?"

"Well I was thinking, I know that Lyndsey wanted to see the bike and well I'm free at the weekend. I thought maybe we could meet in the park for a proper picnic. You come in the car and I'll come on the bike so she can have a look and we can feed the ducks and other picnicky type things?" Sara's voice trailed off under Catherine's intense gaze. She wondered if mentioning Lyndsey and her bike in the same sentence was a good idea also suspecting to herself that the idea of a picnic probably sounded ultra lame. It was just that she wanted so much to build a real friendship with the incredible woman sat beside her.

"You'd do that for Lyndsey?" Catherine asked hesitantly after a moment of contemplation. She knew how precious Sara's time off was because she hardly ever took any.

"Well for you and Lyndsey and for me too – I love picnics!" She smiled an adorable gap-toothed smile and hoped Catherine didn't think she was nuts.

Catherine's stomach was in knots as she just stared at the earnest younger woman next to her. It was the sweetest gesture. Sara would give up her time to make Lyndsey smile and Catherine knew how much it would make Lyndsey's day because her daughter hadn't stopped asking about Sara's bike since the morning they'd met her in the diner.

Catherine was aware that in the past she'd treated Sara harshly, very unlike a friend. She knew that the team had suffered because of their bickering. She also knew that a chance to develop a friendship with Sara shouldn't be ignored but then she also knew that in bringing Sara closer to her, she would be torturing herself.

Catherine had hoped and prayed that the feelings she had for Sara would subside. They'd not had to work together in three weeks, which had partly been engineered by herself, in an attempt to understand and squash the desires that were burning her from the inside out. The problem in not seeing Sara was that her mind had taken to feeding her imagination all the more. A prime example being the dream in which Sara was perched, hair tousled, shirt unbuttoned, dark eyes burning and naked from the waist down, on the edge of her desk as Catherine dropped to her knees and pulled one leg over each shoulder. Sara was panting, sweating, begging her and Catherine was just about to give her what she needed when the mobile on her bedside rang dragging her cursing into reality. Catherine had subsequently given in, yet again, to that wicked angel with whom she was developing quite a bond. So could she truly cope with bringing Sara closer?

Catherine knew she'd been quiet for too long. Sara had watched the conflicting emotions crossing her colleague's face and broke the silence.

"Hey listen, I'm sorry, you want to spend quality time with your daughter and you don't need me interrupting that." Sara apologised. "I wasn't really thinking."

Sara knew there was more to it than that but she didn't want Catherine to feel she was muscling in on the precious time she had with her daughter. She clearly hadn't thought it out.

Sara stood and walked to the sink, dumping her empty coffee mug into the lukewarm water.

Catherine closed her eyes, trying to find the reset button on her emotions.

"Sara," Catherine spoke unsure of her voice, it sounded shaky to her ears, "Lyndsey would love it." She paused for a second then opened her eyes finding herself staring straight into the beautiful chocolate brown orbs she'd been dreaming about. "I'd love it," she finished, trying to sound more sure of herself, "thank you."

Sara's heart soared. Catherine had dropped a barrier and let her edge a touch closer. She was so desperate to kiss the amazing woman in front of her but now just wasn't the time.

Sara knew she was falling for Catherine. She had been for a long time in fact, despite their rocky almost none-existent relationship. She wanted Catherine in _every_ way, not just sexually and although she knew of her attraction she was unsure if Catherine could ever feel like that towards her.

Sara smiled a gentle smile and echoed Catherine's words, "thank you," which earned her a questioning look. "I now have something to look forward to," she enlightened the blonde before walking out of the break room. All Catherine could do was stare after her, her tummy performing little somersaults in nervous anticipation. She was well and truly on Sara's hook.

* * *

Phew! Thanks for continuing to read this even though i'm not the quickest updater. Thanks also in advance for your honest reviews. :-)


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